President Trump’s announcement of a 100% tariff on foreign-made movies is the biggest jolt Hollywood has felt all year, stirring urgent questions for filmmakers at every level of the business. For the first time, trade war tactics are aimed squarely at the entertainment sector—raising real risks, confusion, and debate throughout creative communities.

What’s Happening Right Now?

This morning, President Trump revealed his intent to impose steep tariffs on any movie produced outside the U.S.—a move he claims will “bring the film industry home” and boost local production. While Congress and industry lobbyists search for details, the reality is few concrete answers exist: the rules are fuzzy, enforcement is unclear, and nearly every Hollywood studio is in a scramble to determine what comes next.

Why Does This Matter to Filmmakers?

Modern filmmaking depends on global collaborations. From major studios locking in locations in Colombia or Thailand, to indie crews crossing borders for a key festival shot, international production is a lifeline for budgets and storytelling. This tariff could double the costs of foreign shoots, kill coproduction deals, and disrupt festival runs for films made and financed across multiple countries. Even work-from-home post-production artists and VFX professionals abroad could see U.S. deals dry up overnight.

What’s Actually at Risk?

• Budgets: Projects with any substantial overseas work—from shooting scenes in Europe to editing in Canada—face uncertain new costs and delays.
• Distribution: Independent films, international co-productions, and festival entries could all be subject to the tariff, complicating releases and endangering sales.
• Streamers: Platforms and buyers may steer clear of content with foreign roots or demand U.S.-based production contracts, leaving creators with tough choices.

Key Questions Still Unanswered

• How exactly will “foreign-made” be defined? What percent of production abroad triggers the tariff?
• Will tariffs apply to films just distributed in the U.S., or only those made for American audiences?
• What about festival submissions and independent films—are documentary crews and student directors at risk?
• How will global partnerships and creative exchange be impacted as U.S. and foreign funding dries up due to uncertainty?

What Can Filmmakers Do?

Stay alert, talk to partners, and keep an eye on further details. Lobbying efforts are underway to clarify the rules, and major guilds are expected to make statements soon. If current plans move forward, consider how production timelines, budget structures, and international collaborations might need to adapt or localize to avoid steep penalties.

The Bigger Picture

Despite tariff threats, many industry experts point out that Hollywood’s biggest challenge is still technological: A.I., digital creators, and shifting audience habits are reshaping what stories get told and who gets paid. Protectionism may sound dramatic—but it’s the creative community’s flexibility, global reach, and willingness to adapt that will determine what survives in the next chapter of filmmaking.

For now, the only certainties are confusion, higher risk, and the urgent need for filmmakers to strategize—and advocate—for clarity and fair policy. Stay tuned, stay resilient, and let your voice be part of the conversation.

Dakarai Akil’s story isn’t the kind fans expect—it’s the kind that leaves them talking. When he sat down with Roselyn Omaka, he didn’t just recount his journey from hardwood glory to movie magic; he dropped a bombshell on anyone invested in formulas or conventional paths. The all-time leader from Dawson High, the ESPN-featured college athlete, walked away from pro offers without a second glance.

The Unthinkable Choice

What compels someone to take a stack of NBA tryout letters, unopened, and dump them straight into the trash? For Dakarai, that moment wasn’t about giving up—it was about finally listening to the thrill in his gut. He recalled writing his first script in college, expecting to jot down ten pages, and coming back with forty because the inspiration was relentless. That passion, he says, is what lit the fuse on a new destiny, one that felt more alive than a future set by others.

Fresh Starts and Hustle

Making that leap meant plunging into the unknown. As soon as the basketball spotlight faded, Dakarai hustled through the grind: selling DirectTV at Sam’s Club, late shifts at UPS, painting for PPG, and landing at Enterprise—all while picking up skills, humility, and heart. “All the dream chasers had to fund the dream,” he laughs. For months, rejection and doubt circled, but Dakarai refused to let others’ doubts dim his vision. He paid for his first camera with grocery money, set up alone, and pressed ‘Play’ on a brand new life.

Originality Over Carbon Copies

Dakarai’s work is fueled by authenticity and obsessive attention to detail. He’s clear:

“Everyone’s a carbon copy now.”

Instead, he crafts stories that reward viewers who pay attention—layered projects with references and details borrowed from his own journey and the legends he admires. Each film, each role, becomes a challenge to the gen-pop formula flooding content platforms.

Only the Beginning

The conversation with Roselyn peels back many layers—a kid who faced rejection, a young man who lost friends by trading jerseys for scripts, and an artist coming to terms with ghost towns at his first premieres, packed only with strangers. Still, Dakarai calls it “just scratching the surface.” His humility is matched only by his ambition to inspire every underdog who quietly watches, waiting for permission and staying true to his own vision.

Lessons from the Legends

Near the end, Dakarai turns reflective, speaking on the greats—Denzel, Samuel L., Morgan Freeman—who “popped at different times.” He’s learned the power of running one’s own race, never timing out on a dream, and celebrating originality over popularity. “Most people just want to be seen. They don’t want to be great. See, I’m the opposite. I focus on greatness, because everybody wants to see greatness,” he shares. It’s a mindset that stands at the heart of his story, signaling that for Dakarai, this isn’t the finish line—it’s the very beginning.

If Dakarai’s path proves anything, it’s that greatness starts when comfort ends and vision begins. His trash can moment wasn’t a mistake—it was an invitation to chase something real. And for all those watching, he’s making one thing clear: open your own letter, no matter when your time comes. Dakarai’s story is nothing short of cinematic. When he sat down with Roselyn Omaka, he peeled back the layers of a journey that broke every rule—and sparked every creative fire. As Dawson High’s legendary scorer and a college basketball star, most assumed Dakarai’s next stop was the pros. But, shockingly, the stack of NBA tryout letters delivered by his coach never saw the light of day—they hit the trash, unopened. Why? Because Dakarai wanted something no one else could see.

The Moment Everything Changed

College was a crossroads. When a film student asked Dakarai to write a script, he went all in—expecting to deliver ten pages and returning with forty, so inspired he couldn’t stop. He describes that moment as his artistic awakening, the moment filmmaking lit up his whole sense of purpose while basketball—despite all its glory—started losing its spark. That passion meant giving up certainty for a mysterious calling, and even the teammates who’d cheered him on couldn’t understand his leap of faith.

Hustling Through the Unknown

Leaving basketball was just page one. Dakarai scraped together jobs: selling DirectTV in Sam’s Club, working at UPS, painting for PPG, and finally learning business at Enterprise—all while saving up for his first real filmmaking tools. Every empty room, every rejection letter, and every side hustle became fuel for the fire, teaching him not just technical skills but how to rebuild from zero, with nothing but faith and ambition.

Breaking Every Mold

Dakarai’s journey is textured—original films stacked with subtle references, storylines that defy stereotypes, and roles far beyond the typical hood drama. He’s as vulnerable as he is determined, facing doubt from the film club that didn’t accept him, and critics who wanted him to stay in his “box.” Instead, he paid for his first camera with grocery money and shot his first film alone, proving that originality is a superpower in a world obsessed with carbon copies.

Wisdom from the Greats

The highlight of Dakarai’s sit-down with Roselyn is his take on studying legends. “I look at journeys for inspiration,” he says, pointing out how Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Morgan Freeman each broke out on their own timeline. There is no expiration date for greatness—and Dakarai’s story echoes that.

“Most people want to be seen. I focus on greatness, because everybody wants to see greatness,” he shares, making it clear that there’s always a next chapter when you’re willing to be yourself.

If Dakarai’s path proves anything, it’s that the beginning is sometimes disguised as the end. His trash can moment means the real story is yet to come—and for anyone watching, it’s the kind of inspiration that invites us all to leap without looking back. Every legend started as an underdog, and Dakarai’s just warming up.

Remember when having an ordinary job felt safe? Those days are over. The arrival of artificial intelligence isn’t just automating tasks—it’s blowing up the very idea of job security and ushering in an era where adaptability and entrepreneurship aren’t optional, they’re survival skills. Welcome to the new game. Average is automated, and now, everyone needs to think—and act—like an entrepreneur.

AI Isn’t Coming—It’s Already Here (And It’s Taking Jobs)

It’s not sci-fi anymore. By 2025, AI and automation are expected to displace as many as 85 million jobs worldwide, from customer service roles to entry-level tech positions, with 13.7% of U.S. workers already reporting being replaced by robots or AI-driven systems. Young people are especially hard-hit: tech unemployment among 20- to 30-year-olds has jumped 3% this year alone in AI-exposed roles. And the impact isn’t slowing down. Analysts say up to 60% of jobs in advanced economies could see tasks automated in the near future, with 30% of workers fearing outright replacement.

Why Average Isn’t Enough Anymore

The old industrial world ran on “the bell curve”—reliably rewarding the middle. If you were competent, you were comfortable. But in the digital age, AI is programmed to do average things perfectly and instantly. Now, the top 10%—the specialists, the creators, the difference-makers—snap up 90% of the rewards, while the rest get left behind.

Enter: The Entrepreneur Game

Here’s the twist: being entrepreneurial isn’t just about starting a business. It’s about building a personal brand, mastering a specialty, and continually learning or creating something valuable that AI can’t easily duplicate. Tech isn’t killing opportunity—it’s changing what it looks like.

• 20 million Americans now expect to retrain for new, more creative or tech-forward careers in the next three years.
• The fastest-growing “jobs” are digital and entrepreneurial: creators, consultants, coaches, prompt engineers, content strategists, AI-human collaboration experts, and niche community builders.
• Nearly half of companies that adopted AI are now automating roles, but they’re also creating demand for new skills and products almost overnight—a perfect playground for entrepreneurial thinking.

Survival Guide: How to Play (and Win) the New Game

• Pick Your Niche: Get laser-specific. Being “good at business” is out. Being the best at “helping consultants automate YouTube marketing with AI tools” is in—and global.
• Build Digital Assets: Write, film, code, design, research—create things that can scale, sell, and build your brand, wherever you are.
• Stay Adaptable: Reskill, upskill, and don’t be afraid to jump into new industries. Today’s winners are the ones who can pivot quickly and ride the next wave, not cling to what worked last year.
• Own Your Audience: Whether it’s a newsletter following, a YouTube channel, or a private Slack group, your future depends on connecting with people who value what you do—AI can’t compete with real, human influence.

Bottom Line

AI didn’t just move the goalposts—it changed the field. Being “average” is now a risk, not a guarantee. The winners in this new economy aren’t waiting for work to come to them—they’re proactively creating, collaborating, and cashing in on the skills, products, and experiences AI can’t touch. The entrepreneur game isn’t just for founders anymore. Ready or not, it’s for everyone.